The present invention relates to a sideview mirror for vehicles and an angle adjusting device thereof, and more particularly, a sideview mirror for vehicles and an angle adjusting device thereof by which a driver can accurately and easily see the view at the rear of a vehicle at unit magnification with respect to the movement direction of the vehicle, and the angle of the sideview mirror can be automatically or manually adjusted according to the physical conditions of the driver.
Generally, a vehicle has a pair of sideview mirrors externally protruded at the driver""s side and passenger""s side of each front side window frame of the vehicle, so that a driver can view the rear of the left and right side roads against the movement direction of the vehicle.
A conventional sideview mirror for vehicles of the planar reflector type having an almost plane reflecting surface is protruded beyond the front body of the vehicle horizontally with respect to a forward-backward axis of the vehicle body, which causes an air resistance.
Such an air resistance increases fuel consumption of the vehicle, and resultantly causes air pollution.
In addition, this planar reflector type sideview mirror has a relatively small rear viewing angle, for example, less than 20 degree., and it may be exposed to water drops, moisture and frost in bad weather such as rainy or snowy weather, thereby making it difficult for the driver to view the rear. As a result, there is a danger of an accident.
Furthermore, while driving at night, the ray emitted from the headlights of the following vehicle is directly reflected at the sideview mirror (at the reflection factor of 50%), making the driver""s view unclear. As a result, there is a problem that the conventional type sideview mirror is lacking in safety.
Considering these problems, a sideview mirror capable of reducing the length thereof protruded beyond the body of the vehicle and increasing the rear view angle using an optical element is disclosed in PCT Application No. WO96/31365 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,559,640, respectively.
Firstly, in the aforesaid PCT Application WO96/31365, as disclosed in the specification and drawings thereof, the driver can see the view at the rear of the vehicle through a sideview mirror constructing of two reflectors and four lenses.
However, in the PCT Application WO096/31365, since the four lenses are arranged upwardly and downwardly, and the two reflectors are arranged between the lenses, it is difficult to adjust an optical axis passed and reflected through each of the lenses and reflectors due to vibration of the vehicle. In addition, an eye lens (screen lens) through which the driver finally view the rear of the vehicle is installed at a lower portion of a so-called xe2x80x9cA pillarxe2x80x9d. As a result, there is a problem that the construction and installation of the sideview mirror is complicated.
In addition, in the construction according to the above PCT application, it is difficult to focus on an object at a long distance and at a short distance at the same time, and moreover the sideview mirror is difficult to be designed to see the rear view at the unit magnification. Thus, the sideview mirror of the PCT application has almost not been put into practical use yet.
Meanwhile, in the sideview mirror according to the U.S. Pat. No. 5,559,640, as disclosed in the specification and drawings thereof, a relatively small convex mirror is arranged outside the vehicle, and a reflector by which an image reflected from the convex mirror is magnified to be reflected on the convex lens is arranged between the convex mirror and the convex lens which the driver look at, thereby making it possible for the driver to view the rear of the vehicle.
In the sideview mirror for vehicles according to the above U.S. Patent Application, however, the image of a magnifier directed toward the driver""s eye is greatly distorted in a vertical direction and in a horizontal direction. As a result, there is a problem that the function as a sideview mirror for vehicles cannot be substantially implemented.
Accordingly, a xe2x80x9csideview mirror for vehiclesxe2x80x9d directed to solve these conventional problems is disclosed in Korean Utility Model Publication No. 76588 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,264,962 by the applicant of the present invention.
Since the aforesaid sideview mirror for vehicles proposed by the applicant includes two lens groups, that is, an object lens system and an eye lens system, and a planar reflector inserted between these systems, it provides a relatively wide field of view toward the rear of the vehicle and a relatively short optical axis for thereby making it easy for the driver to view the rear of the vehicle.
However, in this sideview mirror for vehicles proposed by the applicant, it is not easy for the image incident upon the object lens system to be passed through the eye lens system to have an unit magnification. In particular, there is a problem that the driver""s eye is not easily made consistent with the axis of the eye lens system in the housing installed adjacent to the driver""s side.
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a sideview mirror for vehicles and an angle adjusting device thereof, and more particularly, to a sideview mirror for vehicles and an angle adjusting device thereof by which a driver can accurately and easily see the view at the rear of a vehicle at unit magnification with respect to the movement direction of the vehicle, and the angle of the sideview mirror can be automatically or manually adjusted according to the physical conditions of the driver.
To achieve the above object of the invention, there is provided a sideview mirror for vehicles which includes: a housing connected to a forward portion of the driver""s seat of the vehicle so that an aperture formed at one side is directed to an outer rearward portion of the vehicle and an aperture at the other side is arranged inside the vehicle; an object lens system having at least one object lens for refracting a ray from the outer rearward portion of the vehicle to be converged, an upper reflecting unit arranged in the housing at a predetermined angle within the focal length of the object lens so as to reflect the ray passing through the object lens to the interior of the vehicle and adapted to reflect the ray passing through an upper side of the horizontal center line of the object lens, and a lower reflecting unit arranged in a lower portion the upper reflecting unit so that the upper reflecting unit is at a right angle with a reciprocal internal angle and a reciprocal contact line corresponds to the horizontal center line of the object lens and adapted to reflect a ray passing through a lower side of the horizontal center line of the object lens; and an eye lens system having a third reflecting unit arranged beyond the focal length of the object lens and adapted to reflect the ray reflected by the upper reflecting unit and lower reflecting unit to an inner aperture portion of the housing and at least one eye lens connected to the inner aperture portion of the housing and adapted to magnify and refract the ray reflected by the third reflecting unit to form an image having either an unit magnification or a predetermined magnification for thereby forming an afocal system.
The object lens, upper reflecting unit, and lower reflecting unit are Amici type prisms integral with one another.
The third reflecting unit is a planar reflector.
The third reflecting unit and the eye lens are integral with each other.
The third reflecting unit is a prism.
The eye lens includes a plano-convex lens arranged in an inner aperture portion of the housing and a concave-convex lens arranged between the plano-convex lens and the third reflecting unit.
The housing includes an outer tubular unit having a spherical unit at one end exposed to the interior of the vehicle to be connected thereto and an inner tubular unit pivotably connected to the spherical unit.
At the circumference of the outer tubular unit, the sideview mirror for vehicles further includes an outer duct connected to the circumference of the outer tubular unit to surround the same and having an air inlet formed at one end and a first branching pipe for guiding air introduced through the outer duct to the surface of the object lens.
At the circumference of the inner tubular unit, the sideview mirror for vehicles further includes an inner duct connected to the circumference of the inner tubular unit to surround the same and of which one end is communicated with the outer duct and a second branching pipe for guiding air introduced through the air inlet to the surface of the eye lens arranged in the aperture portion of the housing.
The sideview mirror for vehicles further includes a heating unit arranged in an flow channel of the air introduced through the air inlet and adapted to heat the air.
The sideview mirror for vehicles further includes a blower arranged in the outer tubular duct and adapted to enable air from the outside to be introduced into the outer duct through the air inlet.
To achieve another object of the present invention, there is provided an automatic angle adjusting device of a sideview mirror for vehicles which includes: an auto driving box of which one end portion is rotatably mounted in a door panel of a driver""s seat and passenger""s seat and adapted to interlock an inner tubular unit of a sideview mirror housing; a driving source mounted within the auto driving box and adapted to be driven in order to transmit power during automatic adjusting of the horizontal/vertical angle of the inner tubular unit of the housing; a horizontal driving unit driven by the driving power of the driving source during horizontal adjusting of the angle of the inner tubular unit of the housing; a vertical driving unit driven by the driving power of the driving source during vertical adjusting of the angle of the inner tubular unit of the housing; and a clutch unit having one or more relay gears for selectively interrupting the power transmitted between the horizontal and vertical driving units.
The horizontal driving unit includes: a driving gear installed at the end of the axis of a motor that is a driving source and adapted to be rotated by the rotating power of the motor axis; a horizontal power transmission gear rotated by the rotating power transmitted from the driving gear, a plurality of reduction gears, and the clutch unit in order to adjust the horizontal angle of the inner tubular unit of the housing; and a horizontal adjusting gear installed to be engaged between the horizontal power transmission gear and a horizontal rack gear formed at the door panel and adapted to be rotated by the rotating power from the horizontal power transmission gear in order to adjust the angle of the inner tubular unit of the housing toward a horizontal direction by moving along the horizontal rack gear.
The vertical driving unit includes: a driving gear installed at the end of the axis of a motor that is a driving source and adapted to be rotated by the rotating power of the motor axis; a vertical power transmission gear rotated by the rotating power transmitted from the driving gear, a plurality of reduction gears, and the clutch unit in order to adjust the vertical angle of the inner tubular unit of the housing; a vertical rotating axis installed in the center of the vertical power transmission gear and adapted to be rotated by the rotating power from the vertical power transmission gear; and a vertical adjusting member of which an upper end portion is hingeably connected to the center of a lower end of a connecting member installed in the inner tubular unit of the housing and in which a guide ring penetrated by the vertical rotating axis to be engaged therewith is fixed for thereby raising and lowering the inner tubular unit of the housing by rotation of the vertical rotating axis.
The clutch unit includes: a power conversion link rotatably installed between the horizontal power transmission gear and the vertical power transmission gear; a first relay gear installed at one side of the upper portin of the power conversion link to be engaged with the reduction gears and adapted to rotate the power conversion link by a transmitted rotating power; a second relay gear installed at the other side of the upper portion of the power conversion link to be engaged with the first relay gear and adapted to be selectively engaged with the horizontal power transmission gear and the vertical power transmission gear by rotation of the power conversion link; a guiding member of which one end is connected to a long guiding hole formed at an end portion of the power conversion link and which has an actuating flap formed at the other end thereof for thereby guiding the rotation of the power conversion link; a clutch box facing to the actuating flap and having an electromagnet attached thereto and contacted by the actuating flap as power is applied during adjusting of the vertical angle of the inner tubular unit of the housing; and a spring installed between the actuating flap and the interior of the clutch box and adapted to provide springback force to the actuating flap when the power transmitted to the electromagnet is turned off.
A guide rail is installed in a forward portion of a mounting groove formed inside the door panel, and a roller for guiding the horizontal movement of the auto driving box along the guide rail and supporting the auto driving box at a predetermined height is rotatably installed at a lower portion of the auto driving box facing to the guide rail.
To achieve still another object of the present invention, there is provided a manual angle adjusting device of a sideview mirror for vehicles which includes: a manual adjusting box of which one end portion is rotatably installed in a door panel of a driver""s seat and passenger""s seat and adapted to interlock an inner tubular unit of a sideview mirror housing; a vertical driving unit driven during adjusting of the vertical angle of the inner tubular unit of the housing; and a horizontal driving unit driven during adjusting of the horizontal angle of the inner tubular unit of the housing.
The vertical driving unit includes: an adjusting axis installed inside the manual adjusting box; a vertical driving gear installed at one end of the adjusting axis and adapted to be rotated by rotating power of the adjusting axis during adjusting of the vertical angle thereof; a vertical adjusting handle formed at the other end of the adjusting axis outside the door panel and adapted to be hold during adjusting of the vertical angle thereof; a vertical power transmission gear installed to vertically cross the vertical driving gear and adapted to be rotated by rotating power by engagement with the vertical driving gear during adjusting of the vertical angle of the inner tubular unit of the housing; a vertical rotating axis installed at the center of the vertical power transmission gear and adapted to be rotated by the rotating power of the vertical power transmission gear; and a vertical adjusting member of which an upper end portion is hingeably connected to the center of a lower end of a connecting member installed in the inner tubular unit of the housing and in which a guide ring penetrated by the vertical rotating axis to be engaged therewith is fixed for thereby raising and lowering the inner tubular unit of the housing by rotation of the vertical rotating axis.
The horizontal driving unit includes: an adjusting axis installed inside the manual adjusting box; a horizontal flow preventing unit of a cone-type installed at the bottom surface of the manual adjusting box for thereby forming a spiral groove on the inner circumferential surface thereof; a spring receiver installed inside the horizontal flow preventing unit; a spring installed between the interior of the horizontal flow preventing unit and the spring receiver; a cone-type friction gear inserted into the horizontal flow preventing unit to be engaged with the spiral groove at the other end portion of the adjusting axis; a horizontal adjusting gear formed at the rear of the friction gear to be engaged with a horizontal rack gear formed in the door panel; and a horizontal adjusting handle formed at the rear of the horizontal adjusting gear and adapted to be hold for thereby rotating the horizontal adjusting gear during adjusting of the horizontal angle of the sideview mirror.